James Belcher

James Belcher

Senior Controls Engineer & Automation Expert
Richmond, VA

Over 30 years of experience in industrial automation, SCADA systems, robotics, and controls engineering across nuclear, petrochemical, manufacturing, and transit industries. Expert in PLC programming, HMI development, motion control, and machine vision systems.

30+
Years Experience
50+
Major Projects
8
Companies

ITAC Corporation - Senior Controls Programmer

April 2023 - July 2024
+

Filter Magic IQ System with Z2W Optimization

  • Advanced water filtration control system with real-time optimization
  • Integrated data collection and visualization pipeline
Bosch Rexroth CtrlX Core PLC Node-RED InfluxDB Grafana

Ameriskid Ceramic Ultrafiltration System

  • Industrial ceramic membrane ultrafiltration system
  • Variable frequency drive integration for pump control
Bosch Rexroth CtrlX Core Cerafiltec Ceramics EFC VFD Drives

Industrial Control Systems - Lead Controls Engineer

May 2018 - January 2023
+

ICS Remote Customer Monitor System

  • Developed Secure Remote Customer Monitoring system for maintenance and upgrades for remote customer facilities
  • Enabled secure access for troubleshooting and system updates
Secomea Secure Remote Access Encrypted VPN

Filter Magic IQ Vision System

  • SCADA acquisition system for Water/Wastewater Facilities
  • Backwash Monitoring System with visual inspection capabilities
Machine Vision VTScada Water/Wastewater

HSQ Technology - Senior Controls Engineer

August 2014 - April 2016
+

Major Transit Expansion SCADA Control System

  • Complex SCADA control system for multiple stations and train control houses
  • System used multiple Rockwell L72 CPU and Flex IO with 5000+ I/O points
Rockwell ControlLogix FactoryTalk SCADA Flex I/O

RIDS - Railway Intruder Detection System

  • Virtualized OpenVMS based control system to detect fence intrusions along train right of way
  • Integrated motion sensors and thermal vision cameras
  • Over 1100 sensors and 16000+ I/O points
OpenVMS Thermal Cameras Motion Detection

InMotion Robotics LLC - Senior Controls Engineer

August 2012 - July 2014
+

Water Heater Robotic Line Upgrade

  • Upgraded manual assembly line to full robotic system with machine vision
  • High speed water heater spud weld process while maintaining safe manual operation capability
ABB IRB-6640 ABB IRB-140 GuardLogix Cognex Vision

Automated Fuel Pump Assembly System

  • Weld cell to assemble and weld fuel pump bellow assemblies
  • Vision verification of proper weld quality
ABB IRB-120 CompactLogix Cognex Insight

Automatic Accumulating Conveyor Upgrade

  • Upgraded existing accumulator conveyor system for range packaging line
  • Tight schedule: only 1 week during plant shutdown to install and commission
Rockwell L72 PowerFlex 525 VFD

Secure Remote M2M Monitoring System

  • Secure web-based HMI and production monitoring for windshield defrost cells
  • Multi-site deployment: Tennessee (2) and Mexico (2)
Secomea M2M MicroLogix 1500 Web HMI

Automated Laser Core Deflection Measuring System

  • Automated measurement of large-format radiator core assemblies
MicroLogix 1100 C-more HMI Laser Measurement

Aquilex Corp - Principal Controls Engineer

October 1998 - July 2012
+

PAIRS - Pipe Automated Inspecting, Welding and Repair System

  • Automated remote pipe MIG repair for on-site underground refinery piping
  • Work performed at operational refinery
  • Sick 3D machine vision for scanning
  • Extremely short design and build schedule
Yaskawa Motion Schneider PLC CODESYS Sick 3D Vision

Alloy 600 Repair Welding and Machining System

  • Remote automated TIG and MIG welding and machining for nuclear weld repair
  • Operators operated the system over two miles from reactor over fiber optics
Phoenix Contact Schneider Momentum Fiber Optics

Midwall Automated Welding and Machining System

  • Automated TIG welding and machining for reactor control rod nozzle repair
Phoenix Contact HMI Schneider Momentum

CANDU Reactor Coolant Piping Repair Weld System

  • Complex geometry TIG welding for CANDU reactor coolant lines
Yaskawa Motion Servo Control

STARS High Pressure Cleaning System

  • Remote automated high pressure cleaning for refinery tubesheet cleaning
Yaskawa Motion Steeplechase PC

Welding Services (WSI)

1998 - 2004
+

Spent Fuel Canister Weld System

  • Automated TIG welding process for spent fuel canister lid welds for nuclear industry
Siemens S7-200 TP 270 HMI TIG Welding

PLC Mig Automated Weld System

  • Automated MIG weld metal overlay for boilers and vessels
  • Used in petrochemical plants and refineries
Siemens S7-300 TP 170 HMI MIG Welding

Mag Particle Automated Inspection System

  • Automated Magnetic Particle Inspection of Spent Fuel Canister Welds
Siemens S7-200 NDT Inspection

Remote Video Weld Control Console

  • Automated TIG welding for remote video welding applications
  • Nuclear, petrochemical, and refining industries
Siemens S7-300 Remote Video

Tube Overlay Weld System

  • Automated tube MIG overlay for manufacture of pre-overlay boilers
Siemens S7-300 MIG Overlay

Framatome - Field Service Engineer

May 1994 - October 1998
+

Narrow Groove Welding System Interface

  • System to operate and control automated welding machine for remote video welding
  • Steam generator replacement primary piping welds
Liburdi GTV Custom PCB Remote Video

EDM Control System

  • Remote EDM system interface console for Handsvedt EDM machine
  • Custom PCB controls interface
EDM Custom PCB

Underwater Laser Measurement Inspection System

  • Optically correct measurements from live underwater video
  • Custom PCB controls interface
Laser Measurement Underwater Systems Custom PCB

McDean Inc. - Technical Specialist IV

August 2025 - Present
+
  • Subject matter expert for SCADA and water technology projects
  • Lead programming/SCADA SME working closely with management and customers for various projects

Quality Technology Services (QTS) - DCIM III Engineer

July 2024 - August 2025
+
  • Lead DCIM engineer for Richmond VA RIC3 datacenter campus and support DCIM resource for RIC1 Campus
  • Managed data center infrastructure projects, including new construction and maintaining facility uptime
  • Developed leading candidate prototypes for Universal Protocol Gateway for modular datacenter subsystems

ITAC Corporation - Senior Controls Programmer

April 2023 - July 2024
+
  • Developed code and applications for Water Technology and Power System products
  • Lead Design Engineer for the Filter Magic IQ system with Z2W optimization
  • Lead Design Engineer for the Ameriskid Ceramic Ultrafiltration System

Bosch Rexroth Corporation - Application Engineer

January 2023 - April 2023
+
  • Provided application and software support for Bosch Rexroth customers in Florida region
  • Assisted with conversion of legacy code of older production motion control systems

Industrial Control Systems - Lead Controls Engineer

May 2018 - January 2023
+
  • Filter Magic Product Line - Led application and technology improvements
  • SCADA Solutions - Lead developer of VTScada as flagship SCADA solution
  • IQ System & IQ Vision - Developer of the IQ System and IQ Vision system
  • Remote Maintenance Access - Developed system for existing and new Filter customer base

Blueprint Automation - Senior Controls Engineer

May 2016 - May 2018
+
  • Delta Robot Packaging Systems - Lead Controls Engineer for Rockwell-based Delta Robot single and multi-cell packaging systems
  • Modular Coding Standards - Instrumental in developing new modular coding standards

HSQ Technology - Senior Controls Engineer

August 2014 - April 2016
+
  • Major Transit Expansion SCADA - Developed multi-station SCADA control system for mass transit expansion (Rockwell ControlLogix PLC and FactoryTalk HMI)
  • RIDS Railway Intruder Detection - Lead architect/engineer for integrated railroad intruder detection system for HSQ SCADA system

InMotion Robotics LLC - Senior Controls Engineer

August 2012 - July 2014
+
  • Automated Pressure Vessel Manufacturing Cell - Integrated ABB robots, Rockwell ControlLogix PLCs, and Cognex vision
  • Automated Pump Manufacturing Cell - ABB robot systems with Rockwell CompactLogix and Cognex Vision
  • Automated Accumulating Conveyor Systems - Rockwell ControlLogix PLCs and networked AB PowerFlex 525 VFDs
  • Automated Laser Deflection Measurement System
  • Remote Machine SCADA Process Data Logging System

Aquilex (formerly Welding Services WSI)

October 1998 - July 2012
+
  • PAIRS - Pipe Automated Inspecting, Welding and Repair System
  • Weld Automation Expert - Key Company Subject Matter Expert on weld metal overlay automation
  • Remote Video/Machining/Inspection - Extensive background in Remote Video Welding, Machining, and Inspection Automation
  • Alloy 600 Weld Overlay Systems - Lead Controls Engineer for development
  • PLCMIG Automation Systems - Lead Controls Engineer for PLCMIG and derivatives
  • Capital Development - Controls development for dozens of project and capital development systems including PCB design and embedded microprocessor development

Framatome - Field Service Engineer

May 1994 - October 1998
+
  • Field Welding & Machining Systems - Designed and manufactured various field welding and machining automation modules
  • Field Support - Provided maintenance and field support of automated welding machines (Arc Machines, Dimetrics, and internally developed systems)

Software & AI Development

  • GOPLC - Custom PLC runtime with IEC 61131-3 Structured Text, web-based IDE, and multi-protocol support
  • Industrial Protocol Suite - Modbus Client/Server, Omron FINS Client & Server, EtherNet/IP Adapter & Scanner
  • ScanForge - AI-powered trading analysis platform with backtesting and market scanning
  • Item Analyzer - Computer vision and AI-based product analysis system for market research
  • Smart Organizer - Inventory management system with image recognition and cataloging
  • Design Automation - Custom scripting and automation tools for engineering workflows
  • Technologies - Python, Go, REST APIs, Docker, Claude AI, Machine Learning integration

PLC Programming

  • Rockwell ControlLogix / CompactLogix / GuardLogix
  • Siemens S7-200 / S7-300 / S7-1500
  • Schneider Momentum / M340
  • Phoenix Contact
  • Allen-Bradley MicroLogix

HMI / SCADA

  • FactoryTalk View
  • VTScada
  • Siemens TP Series HMI
  • Phoenix Contact HMI
  • Automation Direct C-more
  • Web-based HMI Development

Robotics & Motion

  • ABB Robots (IRB-120, IRB-140, IRB-6640)
  • Delta Robot Systems
  • Yaskawa Motion Controllers & Servos
  • AB PowerFlex VFDs

Machine Vision

  • Cognex Insight Vision Systems
  • Sick 3D Machine Vision
  • Thermal Vision Cameras
  • Laser Measurement Systems

Industrial Protocols

  • EtherNet/IP
  • Modbus TCP/RTU
  • PROFINET / PROFIBUS
  • DeviceNet
  • Fiber Optic Communications

Specialized Industries

  • Nuclear Power Generation
  • Petrochemical & Refining
  • Mass Transit Systems
  • Manufacturing & Assembly
  • Welding Automation (TIG, MIG, Overlay)

Hardware Design

  • Custom PCB Design
  • Embedded Microprocessor Development
  • Control Panel Design
  • Remote/Underwater Systems

Software & Development

  • CODESYS
  • Structured Text (IEC 61131-3)
  • Ladder Logic
  • Function Block Diagram
  • M2M / IoT Integration

Education

Virginia Western Community College

Roanoke, VA (ABET Accredited)

Associate in Applied Science

Electrical Engineering Technology

Class of 1991

U.S. Patent

Apparatus and Method for Automatically Performing Weld Operations Using Computer Vision

US 7,560,662 B2 WO 2008021882

Multi-axis motion control system with automatic torch positioning and real-time seam tracking for nuclear manufacturing environments.

View Patent on Google Patents

Professional Portfolio

  • GitHub Profile — Open source industrial automation projects, protocol implementations, and AI integration tools
  • LinkedIn Profile — Professional network and recommendations